Gold and Silver: Kyoto's shining pair of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto is all about GOLD! 

In fact, even the creamy vanilla soft-serve they sell out front is dusted with delicate gold flakes.

a cone of gold-flaked ice cream

The Golden Temple, as it's known, is one of Kyoto's most iconic landmarks, and dates back to the late 14th Century.

Kinkaku-ju, the Golden Pavilion

It was a cold afternoon, and light rain was starting to fall as we made our way along the path curving around Kinkaku-ji's beautiful pond. It's always packed at the Golden Pavilion, but to the architect's credit, the way the path is laid out allows all visitors to get photos making them feel like they are the only ones there.

Just outside of the temple, vendors sold bead bracelets, lucky charms, and of course, all things gold. They even had a particular Kinkaku-ji exclusive brand of sake, gold flakes swirling around inside the light green bottle.

Wanting to get out of the icy rain for a few minutes, we stepped inside the temple's warm dry teahouse. We removed our shoes, and kneeled on the tatami mats.

The room was decorated in browns, reds, and light woods, with a small shrine in one corner. The view looked out over the temple gardens.

Shortly, an attendant in a red and pink kimono brought a tray with two tea sweets and two bowls of hot green matcha tea. She knelt before us and bowed low, serving us from the tray.

"You should eat the sweet first, followed by the tea", she suggested. The tiny chalky sweet was decorated with gold leaf.

tea ceremony

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In the evening, we took the well laid-out Kyoto City Bus system to the opposite side of town from Kinkaku-ji to visit its brother, Ginkaku-ji.

We almost didn't make it!

The temple was to close at 5 pm, and we got inside just in time.

Just outside the temple there is a beautiful pathway, the Philosopher's Walk, lined with pink and white sakura trees and following a picturesque canal.

sakura blossoms

We wanted to linger for a while in the otherworldly beauty, which seemed too perfect to be real, in a way, but there was no time to waste!

the Philosopher's Walk, Kyoto

We entered the Silver Pavilion complex around 4:40. A sign said we could stay until 5:20.

The Silver Pavilion is less impressive than its golden brother. In fact, it's just wood, no silver plating at all (and no silver ice cream either, possibly on account of the fact that ingesting silver can turn one's skin permanently blue).

Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion

We arrived at closing-time, so we really did have the complex virtually to ourselves.

The temple is imperfect, quite unlike the glittering Golden Pavilion, and in a way, that makes it more perfect. It feels more real.

Ginkaku-ji is renowned for its world-famous gardens. The ground is covered in a thick carpet of verdant moss. A narrow path winds up a hill behind the temple, offering a spectacular view of the city the pavilion itself, and the rocky zen garden below.

Gardens at Ginkaku-ji

We didn't go to Ginkaku-ji last year. We thought Kinkaku-ji sounded more impressive. But context is important. Kinkaku-ji was crowded, rushed, and chaotic, albeit beautiful.

Ginkaku-ji was quiet, tranquil, and altogether beautiful. I feel like it more represents its zen roots than its commercialized brother.